Being the president of the United States means being available around the clock. No calling in sick with a sore throat, no snow days, and definitely no early Fridays off in the summer. The nonstop demands of the highest office in the country are as intense as it gets, which is why the tradition of a “summer White House” has stuck around for so long. Presidential vacations—or where presidents spend their summers—aren’t really vacations in the usual sense. Instead, they’re a chance to get away from the White House to a scenic spot, usually with their families. All the responsibilities stay the same, just in a place that’s more refreshing than the Oval Office.

In the early days, presidents would simply go home for the summer to take care of their gardens and farms. Later on, a cottage on the Old Soldiers’ Home campus became the official presidential summer house, with James Buchanan being the first to use it regularly as a summer retreat. The cottage sat on 225 acres in the northern part of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House. It also served as a summer White House for Abraham Lincoln, and it’s believed he drafted the Emancipation Proclamation there. As time went on and travel became easier, presidents started spending summers farther away, solidifying the tradition.

Below, check out 15 places where presidents spent their summers. For history fans, keep an eye out for preserved homes you can still visit today.

Quincy, Massachusetts (John Adams)
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The Old House at Peace Field was built in 1731 and served as the Adams family home for four generations. John and Abigail Adams bought the property in 1788, and John returned there during his presidency whenever his duties allowed. Later, when his son John Quincy Adams was president, he also visited Peace Field, especially in the summers. The home is preserved by the National Park Service, and today you can tour the Old House and several acres of historic gardens.

Oyster Bay, New York (Theodore Roosevelt)
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During Theodore Roosevelt’s time in office, he used his home, Sagamore Hill, as a summer White House. The property sits on 83 acres in the Oyster Bay area of New York, with water views and nature trails. The grounds are still open to the public, and you can book guided tours online in advance.

Long Branch, New Jersey (Ulysses S. Grant)
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In 1867, Ulysses S. Grant (then a general, soon to be president) visited a town along the northern coast of the Jersey Shore. “In all of my travels,” he wrote, “I have never seen a better place for a summer residence than Long Branch.” He declared it his summer capital and stayed in a Victorian seaside cottage with his family (unfortunately, it was torn down in the 1960s).

Black Hills, South Dakota (Calvin Coolidge)
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Coolidge set up his summer White House farther west than any president before him, at the State Game Lodge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Drawn by the promise of great trout fishing and later ceremonially adopted into the Sioux tribe, the president said of his memorable summer in South Dakota, “I have had a good time.”

Rochelle, Virginia (Herbert Hoover)
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Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (now part of Shenandoah National Park), Rapidan Camp served as Herbert Hoover’s summer White House alongside the First Lady. The 31st president had three requirements for the retreat: it had to be within 100 miles of Washington, cooler than D.C. in the summer, and have a trout stream.

Campobello Island, New Brunswick (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
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Although Springwood in Hyde Park, New York, was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s main presidential retreat, Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, is where he spent nearly every summer of his childhood and early adulthood (and where he contracted polio). He returned three times during his presidency, all in the summer, including a fishing trip in 1939 just weeks before the outbreak of World War II.Here is the rewritten version in fluent, natural English:

Key West, Florida (Harry S. Truman)
Though it’s known as his winter White House rather than a summer retreat, President Truman visited the Little White House in Key West 12 times during his presidency, spending a total of 175 days in Florida’s tropical warmth. The home is well preserved, and visitors can still see the original furniture and Truman’s personal belongings.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Dwight Eisenhower)
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s peaceful farm served as both a weekend and summer getaway for him and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower during his presidency. It sits right next to the Gettysburg battlefield, and it’s where he hosted world leaders and diplomats in casual settings to help ease Cold War tensions.

Pedernales River, Texas (Lyndon B. Johnson)
During his time in office, the LBJ Ranch along the Pedernales River became known as the Texas White House. The president carried out about a quarter of his presidency there, and he reportedly enjoyed holding staff meetings under a large live oak tree in the front yard of the ranch house.

Hyannis Port, Massachusetts (John F. Kennedy)
The Kennedy Compound in Cape Cod is without a doubt the most famous summer White House of them all. This waterfront property in Hyannis Port includes three main homes belonging to different Kennedy family members, spread across six acres. President John F. Kennedy used the compound as a base for his 1960 presidential campaign and as his summer White House.

Salmon River, Idaho (Jimmy Carter)
Although Jimmy Carter’s summer White House was his private ranch-style home in Georgia, one of his most memorable working vacations was a summer rafting trip down the Salmon River in Idaho in 1978. It’s said that this trip helped shape future national conservation efforts, including his signing of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act in 1980.

Santa Barbara, California (Ronald Reagan)
Rancho del Cielo was President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan’s 688-acre working ranch near Santa Barbara, which served as his summer White House. There, he rode horses and canoed on a small lake, and also hosted world leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II. In 2002, it was designated a California State Landmark.

Kennebunkport, Maine (George H.W. Bush)
Walker’s Point Estate in the coastal Maine village of Kennebunkport served as the summer White House for George H.W. Bush and has been owned by the Bush family for over a century. Because of that, it’s not open to visitors, but when the presidential flag is flying, it means the family is in residence.

Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts (Barack Obama)
Barack Obama spent seven of his eight summers in office vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard. His summer White House was Blue Heron Farm, a 28-acre estate in Chilmark that included a main house, guesthouse, pool, private beach, and even an apple orchard. He and his family loved it so much that Barack and Michelle returned to the island in 2019 to buy their own waterfront estate, which they still own.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about US presidential summer retreats from Coolidge to Carter written in a natural tone with clear direct answers

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 Why did presidents start leaving Washington DC in the summer
Before air conditioning DC got incredibly hot humid and smelly Presidents left to escape the heat the risk of disease and to get a break from the constant pressure of the capital

2 Who started the trend of having a Summer White House
Calvin Coolidge is often credited with making it a regular tradition He spent summers in the Black Hills of South Dakota setting up a full working office there

3 Where did most of these presidents actually go
It varied a lot Coolidge went to South Dakota Hoover had a fishing camp in Virginia FDR went to Warm Springs Georgia and his home in Hyde Park Truman used the Little White House in Key West Eisenhower went to Newport Rhode Island and later to Gettysburg and Kennedy used the family compound in Hyannis Port

4 Did they still work or was it just a vacation
It was a mix They were technically on vacation but they still ran the country They had secure phone lines staff and a military aide with the nuclear football The goal was to work in a more relaxed setting

5 What was the most famous Summer White House
Probably Franklin D Roosevelts Little White House in Warm Springs Georgia or John F Kennedys family compound in Hyannis Port Massachusetts Both are iconic images of those presidencies

IntermediateLevel Questions

6 Why did President Lyndon B Johnson spend so much time at his Texas ranch
LBJ famously hated the formality of the White House He felt most comfortable and in control at his LBJ Ranch in Texas He used it to host world leaders hold meetings and project an image of a tough downtoearth cowboy

7 How did the media cover these presidential summer trips
It was a huge deal Reporters and photographers would follow the president creating a pool to cover daily activities The trips generated a lot of humaninterest stories like photos of Coolidge in a cowboy hat or JFK sailing with his family